Juliano Belletti talks about Lewandowski, UCL odds and more

Juliano Belletti is in Miami with Barcelona and spoke to SPORT about the club.

You’re spreading Barcelonismo around the world as a club ambassador and legend?

Yes, I have been since 2015, more or less. All over the world there are Barça fans, the Barça Academy, the Barça Foundation and it is always good and important to know that there are children and people who support the club wearing the Barça shirt.

Joan Laporta has returned to the presidency. He was also president when you were there as a player. What do you expect from this new spell?

Confidence, hope, it is not easy to take on this responsibility, with the pressure that exists at the moment, but everything will be solved by working as hard as possible so that everything returns to normal. I am also here for two weeks, away from my family, to help Barça.

Someone who is going to help Barça a lot is Robert Lewandowski, is he one of those signings that mark a before and after?

He is a great footballer, he has a nose for goal, he has his history, he’s a competitive character and personality, he is also already in a small way the face of the club and he comes after a great time at Bayern. All this infects a dressing room, he is a player who scores goals and of course, he will have pressure to do well, but he is a signing that will give us a lot of joy.

Does it remind you of the arrival of Ronaldinho?

When Ronaldinho arrived I was at Villarreal, but it was already clear that there was something different coming to the club. Especially now when Robert arrives, what he offers is competitiveness, something that is needed in a team like Barça.

Something also offered by Xavi, your former team-mate and someone who must now build a winning project.

He is already building it, he knows the way to do it. We have continued to talk since he was in Doha and now again here. He has the personality to, and the responsibility. He is a very intelligent guy and he also has the support of the fans, including mine of course. I know how he is as a person and he is going to put Barça back where they belong.

Finally, when will we see a Barça footballer score the winning goal in a Champions League final like you did?

We will see it again (laughs). Why not this season?